Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2026

Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast" (2000) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Second Sight. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Ray Winsone; new program with Ben Kingsley; new program with Ian McShane; new program with producer Jeremy Thomas; archival documentary; archival cast and crew interviews; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

You can choose to leave the underworld, but the underworld never leaves you. The smartest criminals who make a big enough bundle to retire in style know this truth. It is why many of them create strategic partnerships to protect themselves from their past after they leave the underworld. However, this tactic rarely works as intended. Strategic partnerships last for as long as the parties that make them possible are alive, and in the underworld, they are constantly replaced. Also, there are many low-IQ elements there who would self-destruct to ‘defend’ their honor or even an old score, and no strategic partnership is good enough to stop them. They can wait years to strike hard at a target that has been a thorn in their eyes.

In Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast, retired British criminal Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) discovers the true nature of his relationship with the underworld after starting a new life in a picturesque area of Agua Amarga, a coastal village in the province of Almería, Spain. On a day like any other, Dove learns from his best pal, Aitch (Cavan Kandall), also a retired British criminal, that his former mentor and criminal associate, Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), is on his way to see him because he is needed for a job back home in London. Dove’s idyllic new reality instantly begins crumbling because Logan, a dangerous psychopath, always gets what he wants.

In the hours after their most unpleasant reunion, Dove and Logan clash in several verbal spats before the former’s equally dissatisfied wife, DeeDee (Amanda Redman), Aitch, and his wife, Jackie (Juliane White). Despite promising DeeDee not to capitulate to Logan, Dove eventually runs out of options, even after using his best negotiating skills. However, he capitulates after DeeDee shoots Logan in the chest with an old Spanish rifle.

In London, Dove meets Teddy Bass (Ian McShane), a ruthless crime boss who, while participating in a lavish orgy with a prominent banker (James Fox), has hatched a plan to break into the vault of one of the city’s biggest banks. It is why Dove is needed. Dove and several other pros will dig through an adjacent Turkish bath, flood the bank’s vault to short-circuit the security system, and then empty the deposit boxes. For his participation in the job, Dove is promised a substantial share of the loot. However, before the job is launched, Bass asks what has happened to his man, Logan, who seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Many place Sexy Beast among the best films from the New British Crime Wave that dominated the 1990s and 2000s. However, other than a terrific Winstone, who essentially provides Sexy Beast with its charm and identity, there isn’t much else to praise. Glazer’s direction, for instance, is quite average, and if compared to that of rival filmmakers like Guy Richie and Matthew Vaughn, even underwhelming.

The most glaring weakness of Sexy Beast is Kingsley’s hilariously grotesque transformation, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. It is structured upon oddly mismanaged intensity and in-your-face cynicism that make approximately half of Sexy Beast look like a parody. Needless to say, its effect on the large character study in progress is terrible.

Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Second Sight's 4K Blu-ray release of Sexy Beats does not have a Blu-ray copy of the film. If you need one, you must consider this Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack, or this standalone Blu-ray release.

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the Blu-ray included in the combo pack listed above. We have not provided downscaled screencaptures from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Sexy Beast, sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. I also spent time with its 1080p presentation the Blu-ray.

The entire film looks very good in native 4K and 1080p. Except for a few darker areas where shadow nuances become a tad too thick, the quality of the visuals is as pleasing as it can be. I prefer how most of the darker material looks in 1080p, but the film has a certain stylistic appearance that isn't affected by small fluctuations in shadow nuances (or highlights). Delineation, clarity, and depth are very good. Color reproduction and balance are good. I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review. The HDR grade is fine. On my system, the the expanded color gamut was more effective in the darker material. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks very healthy.

Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The quality of the audio is excellent. All action footage sounds great. There are bits, like the one with the rolling rock, that surprise with great dynamic intensity as well. This said, it is also quite easy to tell that the film has a proper contemporary soundtrack that, in certain areas, is carefully optimized. All dialogue is clear. However, some of the exchanges can be challenging to follow because of the thick accents.

Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• That's the Job - in this new program, Ray Winstone discusses his involvement with Sexy Beast, the character he played and how he prepared for it, and the impact the film had on his acting career. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Poetic Drama - in this new program, Ben Kingsley explains how the opportunity to play Don Logan came along and discusses his work on Sexy Beast with Jonathan Glazer and fellow cast members. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• The Real Criminal - in this new program, Ian McShane recalls how he was cast to play Teddy Bass and comments on the "poetry of the vernacular" that dominates Sexy Beast. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• That's Cinema - in this new program, producer Jeremy Thomas discusses the genesis and production of Sexy Beast and explains why he thinks it is a unique genre film. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Finding the Rhythm - in this new program, editor Sam Sneade discusses his involvement with Sexy Beast and comments on some specific choices he made while putting various sequences together. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Beast Mode: Creating Don Logan - this exclusive new video essay was created by critic Leigh Singer. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critic John Bleasdale.

• Behind the Scenes - this short archival program gathers clips from archival interviews with Jonathan Glazer and cast members and raw footage from the production process. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• On Location - this short program visits the main location in Spain where a bit portion of Sexy Beast was shot. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Archival Interviews - presented here are several archival cast and crew interviews whose most interesting information addresses the production and characters of Sexy Beast. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

Sexy Beast 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is quite ironic that the least effective actor in Sexy Beast earned an Oscar nomination. Ray Winstone and Ian McShane are both far more impressive than Ben Kingsley, who is quite simply not right for his part. Winstone is the main magnet, and he looks and sounds like a cockney gangster trying to be a new man.

Second Sight's 4K Blu-ray release presents a good exclusive new 4K restoration of Sexy Beast, supervised by Jonathan Glazer. However, this release does not have a Blu-ray copy of the film. If you need one, you must consider this Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack, or this standalone Blu-ray release. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.